Social Media Content Marketing Trends for 2018

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Digital marketing is a crucial aspect of a small business’ success, and in 2017 it was almost impossible to separate digital marketing and content marketing trends. Because of this, companies need to make sure their content campaigns and strategies are not only keeping up with competitors but are exceeding them. It’s important to remember that because of the speed at which digital marketing changes, you need to always be one step ahead of other companies. With that in mind, every small business owner should be aware of these social media content marketing trends heading into 2018.

All businesses should be focusing on more mobile-ready content. According to comScore’s 2017 U.S. Cross-Platform Future in Focus report, mobile use represents almost seven in 10 digital media minutes. In fact, smartphone applications account for one-half of all time spent engaging with digital media alone. Because mobile platforms are becoming so widely used, it’s crucial to ensure your content is mobile-friendly. With people generally being more engaged in printed content and often skimming digital material in about 15 seconds, it’s important your mobile content is attention-grabbing and easy to read. In doing this, viewers will be more likely to take the time to read the content.

Going off of that, another trend to look out for is richer forms of content. This can be applied especially to video, which often requires users to click play. Rich content refers to content that can facilitate user interaction. A great example of rich content would be posting a poll on social media and asking users to weigh in on a certain subject. This can be a win-win situation in that you’re distributing rich content while collecting customer insights.

Finding and hiring individuals who can generate a consistent stream of content is bound to be something companies will continue investing in throughout the next year. The leading companies in digital marketing hire people who know how to create engaging content for every platform as well as know how to increase a brand’s audience. Millennials are a group of employees who are recruited to do these jobs. With their natural technology and organizational skills, they can develop engaging content for any and all channels.

Along with having more engaging content across multiple channels, the use of livestream and video content is expected to increase significantly. Engagement on videos or live broadcasts is often much higher compared to text posts or images. In fact, videos typically get 135% more organic reach than other types of posts. Users spend more time watching videos and even more time watching live broadcasts. This type of content is engaging while providing the viewer with a more personal approach. Facebook has already announced that it’s gearing towards a “video first” platform because they’ve seen how impactful videos can be.

Social media content marketing can provide companies with a wide variety of opportunities to grow their business. With small businesses, digital marketing can provide a platform to build meaningful relationships with customers and go beyond their target audience. It’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest trends to not only stay ahead of the competition but to ensure your business is utilizing every possible tool.

 

Kelsey R. is a writer and an avid world traveler. When she’s not writing or listening to 80s music, you can find her exploring different countries, taking selfies with her dog Lady, and in constant search for the perfect brownie recipe.